I let out a small huff as I carefully positioned the massive 10-ton water tank atop the penthouse courtyard. Once it was in place, I hooked up a retrofitted water pump and expansion vessel to the tank. Once done, I made my way to the maintenance room, which was discreetly located behind the main outdoor courtyard of the penthouse. I grabbed a long PEX pipe that had been connected to the penthouse's main water system and returned to the roof.
If the world ever returns to normal, maybe I'll have a future as an engineer or mechanic.
Taking great care not to damage the pipe, I carefully connected it to the tank's new water pump. My fingers worked quickly, securing the connection with a few solid twists before I turned the valve wide open.
"Okay, it's connected!" I called out to Shigeo, who stood a little further away, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. He shot me a thumbs-up, a broad grin spreading across his face.
Shigeo jogged over to a large portable commercial-grade generator that I had come across the night before while everyone else was fast asleep. With a flick of his wrist, he switched it on, and the engine roared to life, filling the air with a rhythmic thrum.
Instantly, the maintenance roof transformed into a vibrant hub of activity as bright lights flooded the space, illuminating every corner. I glanced back at the penthouse, and to my relief, the lights inside flickered on, casting a warm glow that spilled out into the incoming night.
"Looks good," I nodded at Shigeo. He grinned and lifted a fist. I let out a small chuckle and gave him a fist bump.
We walked inside and turned to Rumi, who smiled at the sight of the sink running with water. "It works! We have water!" she yelled happily. "Ah! It's getting hot now!"
"Does that mean we can finally take a hot shower?!" Minami exclaimed, rushing up to Rumi and placing a hand under the running water. She winced slightly at the hot water but soon smiled widely. "Yes!"
Without saying another word, Minami grabbed Rumi's hand. "Rumi-chan, let's go take a nice, long bath together, okay?"
"Huh? But I wanted to—"
"Great! Let's go! I'll wash your hair for you!" Minami smiled, dragging Rumi behind her despite the younger girl's protests.
"Hachiman! Save me!" Rumi cried out, which I chose to ignore.
Your sacrifice will not be forgotten, Rumi-Rumi.
"She could have at least said thank you," Shigeo muttered. "It took us two hours to figure that out."
"It's fine. You should go wash up, too. I'll turn off any unnecessary lights. While I'm not worried about anyone coming up here, we still shouldn't announce to the entire city that we have power. It'll only attract unwanted attention," I said.
"Yeah, you're right," Shigeo replied, equally excited at the prospect of a shower, but he paused. "Shouldn't you also go shower, Hikigaya-san? I'm sure it's been a while since you last bathed, right?"
"Don't worry. I'll take one after I turn off the lights. So go ahead, don't worry about me," I said, waving him away.
He nodded and ran off to his own room while I moved from room to room to turn off any unnecessary lights. Once I finished, I moved to my room and entered the private bathroom.
While I didn't necessarily need to bathe like an ordinary person—after all, my body instinctively removes any foreign bacteria and dirt from my skin, and I don't sweat or produce waste like a regular human. Even so, I still felt my inner Japanese need to take a nice bath.
I watched as the clothes—or was it skin? Flesh?—on my body morphed away, leaving me completely naked. Normally, seeing what should have been regular clothing disappear like that would have disgusted or horrified me. But after everything I've learned about my abilities, it all felt strangely normal. Still, I would never do this in front of anyone; it would only terrify them.
Before stepping into the shower, I paused and stared at my face in the mirror, focusing on the scar on my forehead. I lifted my hand to touch it, noting its slightly rough texture.
So much had happened since I woke up in that park all those days ago. It was almost hard to believe. Yet, I knew this was far from over; I still had much to accomplish.
"Wait for me, Komachi, Yukino, Yui. I'll find you. Just hold on a little longer," I said to my reflection.
x x x
Jumping from rooftop to rooftop without the burden of carrying weight or worrying about jostling anyone felt like pure freedom.
With another powerful leap, I soared through the sky, taking in the city around me. With my arms outstretched, I began to glide across several buildings, propelled by the red, haze-like energy emanating from my body. As I approached a wall, I released my glide and ran up the side of the ten-story building.
Reaching the rooftop, I jumped off the edge and quickly scanned the city horizon for any signs or clues related to my objectives. As I glided, my keen eyesight spotted a large green vehicle up ahead. Its bulky body was far too substantial for its surroundings.
"Big, green, and blocky as hell. Looks like a military vehicle to me."
After traveling several blocks, I jumped off a rooftop and crash-landed onto the street below, shattering the asphalt. A group of undead turned to look at me, but, unlike before, they didn't rush to attack. Instinctively, they began to back away cautiously, as if afraid of provoking a dangerous predator—something I had become.
This reaction from the undead had become common ever since I consumed the Tyrant. The DNA and strength I gained from its body had enhanced my abilities. Now, no infected dared to approach.
"I must have that aura thing Rumi and Shigeo mentioned," I said as I approached the abandoned military vehicle, which turned out to be a Komatsu LAV. A pretty common JSDF vehicle.
Further down the road were two more vehicles of the same kind. However, these LAV's had been reduced to ash and melted metal. Strewn around the area were the bodies of several dead and mutilated soldiers. Their bodies were torn to shreds, while the majority of them had their heads torn off or crushed. It was a massacre.
I ripped open the door to the standing Komatsu LAV and quickly grabbed the neck of a lunging infected JSDF soldier. The undead man hissed but suddenly froze as it realized just what exactly I was. It tried to get away, but I crushed its skull with my other hand. After throwing its body behind me, I looked inside the vehicle for anything useful.
My search proved successful as I found a large map marked with several locations. Each location had a name or a list of names associated with it. Further up the map, there was a large circle with "HQ" written in the center.
Finally, a lead.
"Kashima," I said to myself, committing the map to memory. "That must be where these soldiers were heading… could Komachi be there?"
As I tried to make sense of the purpose of the names on the map, I felt something pressed against the back of my head.
"Move a muscle, and your brains will be plastered all over the ground," a rough voice warned. "Drop the map and raise your hands. Slowly."
I did as I was instructed and raised my arms. Once they were above my head, I felt a force strike the back of my knee. It felt like a fly had poked me, but I reacted as expected. I fell to one knee with a grunt and then pitched forward when the man behind me kicked my back, forcing me to the ground.
He placed a knee on my back, pinning me in place, and pulled off my hood. At that moment, I finally got a clear view of his face and body. He was a JSDF soldier. He looked thin, his expression was tired, and a thin, partially healed cut that looked like a knife wound ran across his forehead down to his jaw.
"A kid?" the soldier muttered as he patted me down for any weapons. "What the hell are you doing here? How are you even still alive?"
"I-I don't know! I was just lucky," I replied, trying to sound like a scared teenager. But I could only wince at my performance. I wasn't going to win any of those American Oscars.
"Yeah, right," the soldier said, shaking his head and looking at his watch. "They should have been here by now. Where's my damn extraction?! I've been waiting for five days already!"
"Excuse me, Soldier-San, could you tell me what you and your team were doing before... well, before they all got killed? Also, could you get off me?" I said, starting to lose my patience.
"Shut it," he grunted, pressing his pistol against my head. I didn't so much as blink. "Hey, smartass. I don't understand how you've managed to survive out here for so long, and it looks to me like you've been eating pretty well. So here's the deal: tell me where you're hiding all your supplies and food, and I won't kill you. How about it?"
I stared up at the soldier, whose eyes seemed mad, with deep bags under them. I couldn't believe what I had heard from him. Shouldn't he have offered to help me? To him, as a JSDF soldier, I must have looked like a helpless teenager in need of assistance. Wasn't it his job to help any Japanese citizen?
"I… don't have any food," I said slowly.
"Don't fucking lie to me, you damn brat!" the soldier shouted, moving his weapon and shooting the ground beside my head. I didn't flinch. "Tell me where your fucking food is, or you're dead!"
This guy's lost his marbles.
I glared at him and turned to the side. My eyes slightly widened at the sight of several bodies lying not too far away from us in an alley. They didn't appear to be infected individuals; there were no bite marks or torn flesh.
The only injuries I could see were the bloody holes in their heads. Around them lay empty bags and scattered personal objects.
Bullet wounds. I thought, turning back to the sneering soldier above me. This bastard has done this before… He's been using the obvious military vehicle to lure desperate survivors in order to steal their supplies.
"Last warning, kid! Where's your-"
I pushed myself off the ground with a push-up, sending the man flying high into the air. He groaned as he landed in a heap of limbs, his pistol clattering a few feet away. I stood up and walked over to him. Using my foot, I pressed down on his ankle and began to apply a little pressure.
Immediately, his ankle snapped like a twig. The man yelled at the top of his lungs as he tried to pry me off or pull his leg away. "Get off me! Get off!" he shouted.
I almost complied, but any feelings of guilt over what I had done vanished as I looked over to the bodies of those who only wanted to survive.
Only to be killed, all because of this coward.